Parachute



S. NONAKA July 28, 1936.

PARACHUTE Filed July 31, 1955 Patented July 28, 1936 UNITED STAT PARACHUTE Sueto Nonaka, Naoirl-Gun, Japan Application July 31,

2 Claim.

This invention relates to a parachute usually employed as life-saving means for use from disabled aircraft, and has for its object to provide animproved parachute which can open promptly with minimum shock of opening.

With theabove object in view, the improved parachute according to this invention comprises an umbrella or parachute body having an adjustable air escape port in the central portion thereof, a plurality of operative cords for adjusting the degree of opening of said port, the central suspension cord which is connected at its upper end to said operating cords, afixed ring suspended from a point near said air escape port, a floating ring located lower than said fixed ring, a common ring member formed with a plurality of perforations and attached to the harness, and a plurality of shroud cords or peripheral suspension cords passed through the perforations of said common eye member, said central suspension cord being first passed through said floating ring, then through said fixed ring, and again through said floating ring, and being lastly connected to said shroud cords which have been passed through said common eye member.

In the accompanying drawing in which one embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example:-

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the parachute according to this invention, with the harness omitted;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing another position of the operating means;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the parachute Figure 4 shows in detail the adjustable air escape port at the top of the parachute body and means including the central suspension cord for adjusting said port;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the connection of the annular cord which is passed through the inner periphery of the annular flap forming the air escape port and operating cords therefor;

Figure 6 is an inner plan view showing the air escape port when throttled; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a common eye member having a plurality of perforations and connected to the harness.

Similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing, l designates the umbrella or parachute body made of fabric, the central portion of which is cut out and is provided 55 with a short cylindrical flap portion 2. made of 1935, Serial No. 3 4,074 (01. 244-21) fabric, forming an adjustable air escape. port. The annular free edge of said flap portion 2 is formed with a bead or tube 3, through which is passed a cord 6. The tube 3 is provided with four eyelets 5 arranged diametrically opposite to 5 each other as shown in Fig. 6, and operating cords 6 are connected to said cord 4, which is passed through said four eyelets 5. The free ends of said operating cords 6 are'converged into one. point and connected to a point in the upper por- 10 tion of a central suspension cord 7, which in turn is connected at its upper end to a horizontal supporting cordB. Fastened' to and suspended from the supporting cord 8 is an upper or fixed ring 9. The central suspension cord 1 is. first 15 passed through a floating ring l0 which is located lower than said fixed ring 9, when it is passed through said iixed ring 9, and then it is passed again through the floating ring ID, as shown in Fig. 4. The lower end of the suspension cord 1 is diverged, and each end is fastened to peripheral suspension cords or shroud cords l3 which have been passed through the perforations formed in the common eye member I2. I

Each common eye member I2 is secured to one 25 of the suspension bands ll of the harness and is provided with a plurality of limit perforations I l corresponding in number to half of the whole number of the shroud cords l3, each of said limit perforations I4 receiving a single shroud cord 30 i3. In Figs. 1 and 2, for the sake of convenience, the member 12 is shown as comprising a single ring.

In the position shown in Fig. 1, when the floating ring I 0 is pulled downwardly, the central 35 suspension cord 1 is shortened, the length of the loop portions between the upper and lower rings 9 and in being increased, so that the lower parts of the shroud cords l3 are pulled inwardly and upwardly, and the efiective length thereof is temporarily shortened, as shown in Fig. 2. There- 'fore, when the parachute pack is released, resistance will be immediately produced on the periphery of the parachute body because of the shortened'length of the shroud cords #3 between the periphery of the parachute body and the bands ll of the harness, so that the central portion is first pulled, the shroud cords being lengthened as shown by dot-and-dash lines I3, and the parachute body I will be opened into a dome shape I as shown in Fig. 2. Thus, the pe riphcry of the parachute body is stretched promptly and in natural manner, without being subjected to strong pull. When atmospheric pressure l confined by the opened parachute body What I claim is:-

-increases, the upper end of the central sus- 1. An improved parachute comprisinga parapension cord 1 receives a pull from the operating chute body having an adjustable air escape portcords 6, so that the suspension cord will be in the central portion thereoi,aplurality of oper- 6 stretched upwardly, whereby enlarging the air ating cords for adjusting the degree of opening 5 escape port, annular flap portion 2 assuming the of said port, a central suspension cord whlclk r position 2'. Consequently, the rate of escape of connected atrits upper end to said operating air increases, thereby decreasing the inner prescords, a fixed ring suspended from the central sure. Thus, it will be seen that, while the paraportion of the parachute. body, a floating ring 10 chute according to this invention opens very located lower than said.flxed ring, a common eye 1 I promptlyytheshock of openingcambec nsids member having aplurality oi'bperiorations, and

erabl y minimized. As hereinbefore mentioned, :5. pluralitybf' shroud cords or peripheral susthe central portion of the parachute body is first pension cords passed through the perforations of pulled and the periphery is developed outwardly, said common eye member, said central suspenso that the air confined in the parachute body being fi p d t ou h sa d floati 15 would not be so heavily compressed as toe-cause ing, vthen thro h S fix d rin and again considerable rise of the inner pressure 15. This through Said n ring, and being lastly con- 18 also advantageous in minimizing the shock nected to said'shroud cords which have been 20 or opening passed through the common eye member. 20

when the parachute opens and its periphery improved patmchute according to claimrl spreads wider,- the shroud cords pull the central wherein tliielfuspension or shroud cords connected suspension cord. But, when the point of cona? the g fi a f h paraghute body are passed nection of. the shroud cords l3 and the central mug e t perfom ions formed in the 2 suspension cord 1 reaches the common eye common eye plate attached to the harness and h are connected to the lower end of the central the limit perforations l4. Thus, it will be seen that the shroud cords are mm; t pull'the (yenthat t e perforated member I12 serves to limit the tral suspension cord for a predetermined-extent, degree of Op 1 h p chu e, and at the permitting the widening of the parachute body same time it prevents the shroud cords from being being opened.

entangled, whereby permitting safe operation. SUETO NONAKA. 

